The BookTok phenomenon, a TikTok community dedicated to literature, has gained strength in Brazil since 2020, transforming young people's relationship with books.Text: literatureUnlike previous networks like BookTube and Bookgram, TikTok's dynamic and fragmented format presents new challenges for fostering new readers, according to researcher Gabriel Mattos, author of "Between Books and Likes" (MapaLab Publisher).Organic reach of the platform's algorithmBehind the sales success, some researchers question the quality of the books chosen by the new generation.
Mattos advocates for a balanced approach to these criticisms and believes that the dichotomy between "good and bad" hinders the movement's main purpose: introducing young people to the habit of reading.
There's a more academic critique that often also falls into a place of what is or isn't good literature, what is or isn't commercial literature, which also happens a lot. They often place BookTok in the realm of commodified literature: 'It's only teen romance and it's all terrible, it's not literature, it's subliterature.
I don't like this dichotomy much. I think we need to bring young people in, not push them away.
In an ecosystem where users are impacted by dozens of recommendations daily, the so-called "fast-forward generation" emerges, characterized by superficial readings, the use of artificial intelligence for summaries, and even videos teaching how to skip book chapters.
Mattos is concerned about the weakening of "deep reading," which connects repertoires and stimulates critical thinking. He warns of the risk of using social media as a mediator. "It puts the reader into a logic of performance, utilitarianism, and ephemerality, which may be making this reading poorer."
He adds that while the network is excellent for capturing initial attention, cultivating a critical reader requires time and aesthetic enjoyment, something that clashes with dynamic consumption and dopaminic anxiety from screens.
This accelerated dynamic is also reflected in literary production, creating what the researcher calls "algorithmic writing," where authors shape their narratives and create intense scenes specifically thinking about the cuts that might go viral on social media.
However, there are also signs of an emerging counterculture, marked by young people's interest in physical books, in-person reading clubs, and a desire for analog reconnection amidst digital saturation. "Every culture generates a counterculture, every pasteurization generates a return to the craft, to the artisanal. We've seen this with brands too. So, brands launching magazines, brands creating reading clubs. Brands are also approaching literature because it has a symbolic cultural capital that offers nothing. It's very difficult to criticize a book," he explains.
Mattos believes technology will continue to be central to literary discoveries. "I think algorithmic life, in general, will continue. We'll continue to have network mediation for recommendations, discoveries, and the consumption of literary reviews," the author concludes.
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